Cement clinker cooling chamber or the like



Jan. 2, 1934. H. 5. LEE 1,941,560

CEMENT CLINKER COOLING CHAMBER OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 13, 1932 '4 I Bi/arty '5 LfN/IZITOR. UZMQW ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 2, 1934 I UNITED STATES CEMENT CLINKER COOLING CHAMBER OR THE Harry S. Lee,

Application February 13,

6 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements for sealing an opening through a chamber wall through which opening a chain conveyor or other similar type of conveyor travels.

It is particularly adapted for sealing such an opening in the wall of a chamber adapted to contain powdered material and where the conveyor is employed to move said material; Specifically, it is shown on a chamber adapted to contain hot cement clinkers and wherein air under pressure is introduced to cool the clinkers and which would otherwise cause the fine clinker dust and other fine particles of cement to be blown out throughthe opening provided for the passage of the conveyor chain. Though specifically illustrated in combination with mechanism of this type, it is apparent that it possesses utility and merit in other uses and whereversuch a type. of apparatus is adapted for employment. Necessarily, of course, the sealing must be accomplished without interfering with the functioning of the mechanism with which it is associated and'it must be of such a character 'as to withstand the I conditions under which the chamber is operated and the character of the material which it contains.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following specification, appended claims, and accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical elevation, partly in section, illustrating my invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken on the same line as Fig. 1 and showing specifically the upper and lower closure elements,

Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, showing the'chain conveyor associated with the sealing means,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view taken on'the line 44 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective of a fragment of a portion of the lower sealing plate.

In the construction shown in the drawing, my invention is illustrated in association with a sealingchamber of the type used to cool cement clinker after the same has been discharged from the kiln. In the general assemblage'illustrated, the chamber is indicated as 10. It has an intake 12 for admitting cement clinker. There is a travelling chain conveyor 14 which passes over sprockets 16 suitably driven as by a driven element 18. This drag chain is here shown as travelling over a grate 20 within the chamber and the wall 22 of the chamber is shown as formed of suitable refractory material. 24 and 26 illustrate LIKE Detroit, Mich.

1932. Serial No. 592,772

exhaust air passageways and 28 illustrates two of a series of air inlets wherein air is taken in under pressure and driven through the cement clinker which is impelled over the grate by the drag chain 14. 30 indicates .a series of levelling dampers which are adapted to be cooled by fluid from a manifold 32 that communicates therewith.

The above mechanism forms no part of the instant invention other than disclosing the association wherein the invention is employed. It will be seen that the chain passes through an opening in the chamber wall at 34. The instant application and invention relates to the sealing of this opening around the chain. Reference is hereby made to my two copending applications Ser. No. 592,773 and 592,774 filed as of even date herewith wherein other features of the structure disclosed in part herein are claimed and reference is likewise made to my application Ser. No. 543,416 wherein the entire apparatus and process of which a portion is herein shown is broadly disclosed and claimed. In Fig. 2 wherein the construction is shown in enlarged section the base or floor of the chamber is indicated as 36 and the upright portion of the wall is 38. There is a rigid forwardly projecting sealing. plate 40 secured in a suitable manner to the base 36. A wear plate 42 is also illustrated. The chain travels over the plates 40 and 42. 8

There is a movably supported sealing plate 44 arranged above the chain and supported to float thereupon. This plate has slots 46. Suitable supports 48 are carried by the wall 38 and extend through these slots 46 so that the element 44 may ride up and down through its own weight to maintain close contact on the upper surface of the chain.

In the drawing the chain is shown as formed in two sections, indicated as 14a and 14b. These sections travel side by side between the plates 40 and 44. There is interposed between these two sections a dividing plate 50 which is rockably supported as shown in Fig. 5 upon the rigid plate 40 and which is disposed between the two chain sections and against which they bear to seal the space between the chain sections. The plate ,50 has adepending lug 51 seated as shown in plate 40 to permit this rockable movement.

To seal the space at the outer sides of the chain I provide a pair of shoes held thereagainst. Each of these shoes is supported by a bracket or arm 54 carried by the lower plate 40. Each shoe structure comprises a sealing shoe proper indicated as 56 which is disposed between the upper iii sealing plate 44 and the lower plate 40 as shown in Fig. 4. This shoe is held against the side of the chain by a counterweight 58 carried by a bell crank 60 which is pivoted at 62 to the bracket 54. The construction of the two shoe structures is similar and it will be seen that the counter-.

weight serves to urge the shoe 56' yieldingly against the outer edge of the adjacent chain section so that the two chain sections are held toward the element 50 which is interposed between them. 7

It will therefore appear that the upper shoe 44 floats upon the top of the chain and the two side shoes 56 are urged againstthe outer sides of the chain that the two chain sections are urged against the intermediate strip 50 and that the whole assembly travels over the lower plate 40 so that a comparatively tight seal is maintained at all points about the chain which prevents any appreciable escape of dust or fine particles with out interfering with the functioning of the devlce.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a' pressure chamber wall having an opening for the movement of a pair of belt like conveyor elements therethrough and a pair of belt like conveyor elements arranged to travel through said opening, means at the opening underneath said conveyor elements over which they move. said means rovided with a part extending upwardly between said conveyor elements and against which they are urged, a shoe arranged adjacent the outer edge of each conveyor element and held yieldingly thereagainst to urge the same toward said part, and means arranged above said conveyor elements at the opening and resting thereupon.

2. The combination with a wall of a chamber having an opening for the movement of a conveyor chain therethrough and a conveyor chain divided into two sections arranged to travel through said opening of sealing means at said opening including a plate over which the chain sections travel and upon which they rest, said plate provided with a rockably supported upright part arranged between the chain sections, a sealing element supported to bear against the upper surfaces of said chain sections, and sealing shoes supported to be urged against the outer edges of said chain sections to hold them toward said upright rockably supported part.

3. The combination with a chamber wall having an opening for the passage of a pair of conveyor chains therethrough, of a pair of conveyor chains arranged side by side and adapted to travel through said opening, sealing means for the chains at said opening comprising a plate upon which the chains rest as they pass through the opening, a plate resting upon the chains as they pass through the opening, a part arranged between said plates and between said chains, and a pair of shoes arranged between said plates and held yieldingly against the outer edges of the chains as they travel through the opening holding the chains against said part.

4. The combination with a chamber wall having an opening for the passage of conveyor chains therethrough, of a pair of conveyor chains arranged side by side for travel through said opening, sealing means for the chains at said opening comprising a plate upon which the chains rest as they pass through the opening, a part arranged between the chains to seal the entrance therebetween and adapted to shift laterally within limits with the chains, a pair of shoes arranged adjacent the outer edges of said chains and means holding said shoes yieldingly againstthe outer edges of the chains urging the chains against said part.

5. The combination in a chamber adapted to contain powdered material and having a wall provided with an opening for a conveyor chain, of a pair of chains arranged side by' side to pass through said opening, sealing means for the chains at the opening comprising a rigid plate over which the chains travel, a plate supported to float upon said chains, a part arranged between the chains to float laterally therewith, and a pair of shoes arranged between said plates adjacent the opposite edges of the chains, and counter weight mechanism urging each shoe against the edge of its chain.

6. In combination with a wall of a chamber having an opening for the movement of a conveyor chain therethrough of a conveyor chain divided into two sections arranged to travel side by side through said opening, sealing means at the opening comprising a plate over which the chain sections are adapted to travel through the opening and a part arranged between the said chain sections sealing the entrance therebetween, said part rockably supported on said plate to tilt laterally with the lateral movement of the chain sections, and means urging the chain sections toward said part.

HARRY S. LEE. 

